Leading politicians from the CDU/CSU Union have expressed concern over statements made by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) regarding mandatory military service. Norbert Röttgen, the CDU Vice Chairman of the parliamentary group, told the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” that “cautious optimism is fine, but premature statements are misplaced.” While he acknowledged that the growth figures for the Bundeswehr are encouraging, Röttgen stressed that the initial success is far from the goal. “This is only the first five kilometers of a marathon,” he said.
Pistorius had asserted confidence that the Bundeswehr can meet its personnel requirements in the future without resorting to conscription. The SPD politician told “Funke”, stating that the Bundeswehr is currently at its highest level in 13 years with approximately 190,000 soldiers. “If this trend continues, we won’t have growth problems. Then there will be no discussion about ‘a military service requirement designed in any way.'”
However, Thomas Röwekamp, Chairman of the Defense Committee, disagreed with this assessment. Speaking to the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger”, the CDU politician emphasized that it is crucial for the Bundeswehr to quickly achieve the staffing strength necessary to carry out its missions. He stated, “If volunteering is insufficient for this, we must return to mandatory service. We need this debate now-about it and about a general compulsory year of service. There is no room for maneuvering regarding personnel growth given the security situation.”
